Revelatio
by chemicalflashes
Summary: A certain boy's certainly uncertain actions towards a certain girl. Add to that some sinister machinations. [Setting- 4th year, NOT a Yule Ball centered fic. It's not fluffy as it might seem.]
1. As They Come By

**Summary:** A certain boy's certainly uncertain actions towards a certain girl. Add to that some sinister machinations.

**Setting: **4th year [NOT a Yule Ball centered fic]

**Pairing: **DM/HG, _Dramione _[Herco?]

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill. 

* * *

CHAPTER 1

AS THEY COME BY

* * *

_In a sea of strangers,_

_you've longed to know me._

_Your life spent sailing_

_to my shores._

— _**Lang Leav,**_  
_**Love and Misadventure**_

* * *

She had seen him for the first time aboard the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It seemed like yesterday.

Slicked back platinum blonde hair and a face which radiated arrogance for miles was her first perception of him. Later she had learnt that he was a downright spoilt prat. But that was fine; after all she had nothing to do with him and his lot.

_Little did she know..._

"Oi! Granger!", a drawling voice called out. She stopped in her tracks and wondered what she had done this time to deserve his unwanted attention.

"Malfoy", she acknowledged him as she spun around. She noticed his cronies were nowhere in sight.

He began to speak, "As you already know, Snape-"

"It's _professor _Snape."

He glared at her for a short time, probably for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity to her. The greyness of his eyes was positively stormy at that moment.

"Whatever", he resumed. "As I was saying, _Snap_e has paired us up for making potions for the rest of the year, even after knowing how I loathe you and your muddy blood-"

She broke him of again, "The feeling's mutual." She noticed he hadn't said 'Mudblood'. He continued again, this time a little more angrily.

"Will you stop cutting me? Anyhow, I just wanted to say that you mind your business and I will mind mine. Try anything funny and I won't hesitate in hexing you to oblivion, understood?", he said with an air of finality about it.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

"No, because one, I don't waste my time on small time tricks and two, potions happens to be a class I like. Oh! And the third and the last reason happens to be the fact that if I were to do something to you, it would not be bad, it would be awful Granger and awful things can't be done in class. So stop thinking in that big bushy head of yours and try to behave in there because I know you have a knack for inviting trouble, espcially if it affects me."

"Malfoy, are you implying that you're afraid of working with me? Afraid that I will punch that pointy nose of yours again?", she asked somewhat slyly.

"No, I am implying nothing of that sort", his voice wavered a little. "Blimey! You think so high of yourself Mud- Granger. Now if you had enough of this pointless banter regarding this unwanted arrangement, may I go?"

With that he abruptly but arrogantly walked past her, knocking shoulders intentionally.

She watched him as he walked away, his robe sailing after him as he disappeared down the corner. She wanted to run after him and point out that it was he who had started the 'pointless banter' in the first place.

She silently wondered to herself, how in Merlin's name did she have a nearly civil conversation with Malfoy, the worst Slytherin ever known. She walked back to her common room, her arms burdened with some books, all the time wondering why had he refrained from calling her a 'Mudblood'.

_Little did she know..._

* * *

He walked down the path to the dungeons all the time thinking about his confusing actions. Why in Salazar's name was he talking to Granger civilly and actually liking it? Small talk with Granger just didn't happen for him. But deep down he knew that he couldn't reverse what had happened.

_Deep down he knew..._

Walking up to the door of his common room, he muttered the password and slid himself inside, hoping no one would notice him. His wish didn't come true though.

"Draco, where have you been to?"

That was Zabini. For the time being Draco just wanted to go to his room and question the motives behind his weird actions.

"Nowhere", he answered somewhat roughly, hoping that Zabini would get the hint that he wanted to be left alone. But he was Draco Malfoy. He didn't need to see whether people got his hints or not. So without further ado he rushed past him; eager to enter the warm and comforting confines of his room.

As he entered his room, the smell of parchment and ink, which he loved so much invited him.

At last he was at home, at rest; eager to jot down his thoughts or rather the reasons behind his questionable actions.

At his desk sat a thick, elegant, green leather covered diary which awaited him. It had been a gift from his mother when he had been sent off to Hogwarts.

"This", she had said as she had handed it to him, "will help you get through difficult times." He hadn't understood what she had meant back then. However, now he saw it all, as clear as the morning sunlight. That diary had been his true companion through the last three years, the fourth year wouldn't be any exception. It had become a routine for him now. After having dinner and wandering a little bit around, he would find solace in the off-white parchment and sea-blue ink.

This evening was no different.

So he wrote. He wrote and all his feelings were splayed across the pages.

_I don't know what came over me today when I decided to talk to Granger. Perhaps it was her sparkling chocolate eyes? Or her silky hair?_

_Frankly, I don't know._

_Look at me! What has happened to me? Here I am thinking about her eyes and hair. No, I wouldn't think about them. NO!_

_Granger is a filthy little mudblood, not some nymph. I am the purest of purebloods. Purebloods don't associate with mudbloods. A pureblood doesn't think about a mudblood, however striking the said mudblood be._

_Just plain old no._

_Then why am I thinking about her all the time? I don't know where I am, I am so lost, Salazar, help me! Snape has paired me with her for potions for the rest of the year. And I don't know why I am so happy inside._

_I don't like her. Of course not! Never!_

_~ D_

_Deep down he knew..._

* * *

_**A/N:-**__ Please leave a review! I'll continue, if I see at least one review._


	2. As They Slip Away

CHAPTER 2

AS THEY SLIP AWAY

* * *

_You know that place_

_between sleep and awake?_

_That place where you_

_still remember dreaming?_

_That's where I'll_

_always love you..._

_That's where I'll_

_be waiting._

— _**Hook, 1991**_

* * *

She woke up at the break of dawn or rather, she just weakly opened her eyes and then shut them up again. She hadn't slept for much of the night, there was too much trouble in her young soul.

_She was so lost..._

There were troubles like trying to patch up Ron and Harry's friendship, figuring out a way for Harry to get past those vicious dragons, Sirius's visit and then there was potions with Lord Peroxide.

She remembered their yesterday's meeting and how odd it had been. There was a marked change in his approach. Him not calling her a Mudblood and talking almost politely had of course not gone unnoticed by her.

She lay in her bed, her feet refusing to sway. It was too early to leave the dreamy adobe; too late to go back to a dreamy haze. However, there was this place that she liked to get lost in- a place in which one is awake and yet one dreams.

It was in this place that she was thinking about her troubles. Specifically one trouble.

Potions- with Lord Peroxide that is Draco Malfoy

She had tried hard, very hard to get Snape to change his mind. But Snape being Snape hadn't budged an inch from his horrible decision and even took twenty five points from Gryffindor for her 'arguments'.

But was she really that unhappy?

No, she was not. At least Malfoy knew the stuff he was doing unlike some of her fellow friends. Sure Malfoy was a git but he matched her intellectual level and that made him fine enough. She thought about his other aspects and imagined how things could have been different if he weren't such a snobbish spoilt prat.

In her mind's eye she imagined his face. He was handsome, that she had to admit. His grey eyes were always in the midst of an eternal storm, she remarked. Then she imagined Ron's face and a wonderful warm feeling fluttered in her heart. She liked Ron, she couldn't deny that. But he never seemed to notice her; well not as a girl anyway.

But that didn't stop her feelings. In fact, his ignorant behaviour caused her to be even more attracted to him. She pictured Ron's eyes, she wanted to be called by that cool blue azure. She wanted to drown in the deep blue sea of his eyes for an eternity.

But it didn't seem to be happening anytime soon, did it?

_She was so lost..._

* * *

The vivid forest green sheets of his bed were tossed and creased as he moved in his sleep. Though, he was not completely asleep, he still was having horrible nightmares with scenarios ranging from him marrying Pansy Parkinson against his will to the death of his mother.

_And everything was clear..._

One of the nightmares kept replaying over and over, again and again—

Hermione; _his _Hermione was in his home being tortured viciously by none other than his aunt Bellatrix.

He couldn't make out what they were speaking about, he could just see her struggling tiny form. He felt helpless standing there, watching from afar, unable to do something.

After a long time, his aunt left, still quite unconvinced. He made sure that the coast was clear before dashing over to _his_ Hermione, who still lay writhing in pain on the cold rough hewn floor.

"This is all my fault.", he whispered as he delicately cradled her head in his lap, softly, tenderly. She didn't reply, she was in no position to do that; she had been injured so severely. Instead she just opened her beautiful chocolate eyes, looked at him with relief and disgust mixed up together and shut them up again. He went back to muttering something about how he would kill Bellatrix himself, how they would escape and how they would live together somewhere when all this mess was over.

"You know what, _I love you._", he said tenderly while stroking her cheek. He visibly winced when he saw the word 'Mudblood' engraved on the pale skin of her arm. Once again he swore that he would kill Bellatrix and somehow Voldemort too.

The dream ended with that severe thought and Draco Malfoy woke up with a start.

He peered around and relief flooded his tormented face when he realised that he was indeed in his bedroom in the Slytherin quarters and not at the Malfoy Manor, watching _hi_s Hermione getting tortured.

Did he just think _his _Hermione?

No, she was Granger, just Granger to him. But somehow, Granger sounded even more personal than Hermione. Only he called her Granger in the whole of Hogwarts, he realised. Even Snape called her Miss Granger. But he?

Just Granger.

His brain must have been messed up hard, he thought.

He didn't want to wake up yet. So he resorted to lying down on the tossed and highly creased sheets of his bed and he thought about the various things plaguing him, perplexing him till no end.

Thinking; it was pretty much what he did those days.

Granger had invaded most of his senses. She was an amazing sight to take in with olive skin, melted chocolate eyes and hair he wanted to run his hands in, her voice was the sweetest melody to hear, the aroma of lavender tickled his nose whenever she was nearby, her touch was soft; he knew that from the well placed punch she had thrown him last year and her taste...

He didn't know her taste, he hadn't got the opportunity till then. He wondered how she would taste against his lips. Would she be sweet or sour? He hoped it to be sweet; sweet like chocolate.

"Look at yourself", he thought and reprimanded himself for having that strange obsession with Granger, of all the people.

And suddenly, he hopelessly wanted to find out how she tasted and maybe, _maybe_, he thought, he would be able to win Granger and show that he was indeed not a pompous prick that almost everyone assumed him to be.

Potions with Snape never looked better.

_And everything was clear..._

* * *

_A/N: Okay, so I don't know why the last chapter was all bold and italicised even though I had not done so. Since, I received a follow, I decided to update it._


	3. As They Sail By

CHAPTER 3

AS THEY SAIL BY

* * *

~•~•~•~•~•~

_Without contraries_

_is no progression._

_Attraction and repulsion,_

_love and hate,_

_are necessary to_

_human existence._

_**\- William Blake**_

~•~•~•~•~•~

* * *

The day hadn't gone particularly well. Ron and Harry were as usual not speaking. She was quite ashamed to admit that Ron, not unlike a certain grey eyed ferret could be a pompous and stubborn git sometimes too.

It was afternoon now. Afternoon meant a double period Potions session. Potions meant Malferret.

She just loathed the thought.

_Some people shouldn't exist..._

As she walked with Harry to the dungeons, she saw a message in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage-

Support CEDRIC DIGGORY-

the Real Hogwarts Champion!

"Like them Potter?", said Malfoy loudly as they approached. "And this isn't all they do- look!". He pressed his badge into his chest and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS

The narrow passage filled with raucous howls of Slytherins' laughter.

Hermione felt sick.

She turned towards Malfoy, who in turn was looking intently at her for the whole time. A very short, eternity long stare match ensued; grey to brown, brown to grey.

Storm to chocolate, chocolate to storm.

"Really witty", she said at last to him. He faltered for a second and then regained his composure. She noticed his falter. Interesting, she mused inwardly to herself. He just smirked haughtily to cover his minute moment of losing his suave style.

"Want one Granger?", he asked.

"As if I would."

"Really, no?"

"Yes, No!"

"Enough of this Malfoy!", a third voice spoke. It was Harry; his bottled anger of many days was pouring out.

"Oh Potter, you have the nerve to break a pleasant conversation." He glared at Harry, as if he had had interrupted the world's most important talk. In his angry haste, Harry drew out his wand.

She felt helpless. "Harry!", she cried out warningly but it seemed to have no effect on her friend.

"Go on, then Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now- do it, if you've got the guts."

Then something wholly unexpected happened.

She didn't know what came over her. In her blind fury directed at both Harry and Malfoy, she didn't see whose arm she was tugging at and began yelling, "Stop! Stop! Stop! For Merlin's sake, Stop!"

In the background she could hear a multitude of whispers and someone shouting, "Hermione what are you doing?!"

"Granger, what are you doing?", a cool drawling voice coming from somewhere near her left ear, asked.

A deathly silence descended upon the red and green crowd as Hermione stopped yelling and looked around to see Harry's, Ron's, Pansy's and almost everybody else's gaping faces. It was then that she realised that the arm she was hanging onto wasn't Harry's but Malfoy's...

She dropped his arm as if it were infected and put as much as distance between them as she could in that narrow passage.

She was still dazed from what she had just done, when she heard the distinct voice of Pansy Parkinson ring through her ears.

"How dare you touch Draco, you filthy Mudblood?", her sharp voice cut through the damp air. If looks could kill, Hermione would have been splattered on the walls in a matter of a few seconds.

"Oh please Parkinson! You can have your Draco all to yourself. In fact, I and not you should be the one complaining. Look! How unclean I have become!" To prove her point, she took out a handkerchief from one of her robe pockets and began wiping her hands vigourously. Let them see the true Hermione Granger she thought; the sassy Hermione Granger.

He watched her with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. For a small moment, the storm of his eyes seemed to have subsided to give rise to a calm grey.

_She was the centre of his world..._

But fate had plans other than the ones continuing his amusement and her hidden sassy nature.

As Hermione turned around to face Harry, Ron and her other fellow Gryffindors, she couldn't have thought that a nasty, '_Densaugeo'_would be thrown her way. She had no chance to save herself.

Her already large front teeth began growing at an abnormal pace. Her attacker, Pansy Parkinson, glared at her abysmal state with a look of utter contentment.

She felt helpless for the second time on that fateful day. She barely managed to suppress the tears which were threatening to fall out at any second.

"Hermione!", a new voice called out. It was Ron. He went over to her to comfort her as she tried to hide her enormous teeth.

Draco was trying hard to look approvingly at Pansy. He couldn't believe what was happening that day. Who knew Pansy Parkinson could throw a hex. But most of all, he was worried for Granger.

"What's going on here?", a cool deadly voice spoke.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamoured up to him to give their explanations. "Not all at once!" He pointed a long, thin yellow finger at Draco and said, "Explain".

"Granger provoked Pansy; Pansy hexed her.", he replied coolly.

"Let's see, detention Miss Granger. Twenty points from Gryffindor for provoking a respectable student. To the hospital wing now. Mr. Malfoy, you take her there."

She couldn't believe the injustice of the situation. But still she was glad that Snape hadn't insulted her in front of all the students.

As she started to walk with Malfoy down the path to her destination, she glanced back to see Harry and Ron's concerned faces as they entered the classroom.

She looked at Malfoy beside her, who was oddly quiet. He looked at her, straight in the eyes, with perhaps concern and worry in them. Grey to brown; brown to grey.

She couldn't identify the strange softness in his eyes. Malfoy feeling concerned for her? That was ridiculous! But she had to admit that he was acting strange. No insults? No rudeness? She couldn't understand this boy.

_Some people shouldn't exist..._

He on the other hand was highly worried for her. He chose to keep quiet, knowing well that if he would speak, he would pour out his heart to her, since they were alone then. So, he just stared at her now and then. He wanted to remove her hands from her mouth, he wanted to wipe away some of the stray tears. He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine.

Instead he chose to be silent; it was too soon to tell her anything yet. In fact, he himself was confused.

_She was the centre of his world..._

* * *

_**Author's Note-**_

_I tried to bring their narratives together. Did you like it?_

_I am aware that the first quarter is fully cannon but well, how did you take the twist?_

_Please comment what you think!_

_Any questions, queries? Feel free to ask!_

_~ Norma_


	4. Wanderers In The Night

CHAPTER 4

WANDERERS IN THE NIGHT

* * *

«»«»«»«»«»

_The Wanderer_

_What is she like?_

_I was told—_

_she is a_

_melancholy soul._

_She is like_

_the sun to the night;_

_a momentary gold._

_A star when dimmed_

_by dawning light;_

_the flicker of_

_a candle blown._

_A lonely kite_

_lost in flight—_

_someone once_

_had flown._

— _**Lang Leav,**_  
_**Love and Misadventure**_

«»«»«»«»«»

* * *

Sleep was refusing to come to her due to her recurring thoughts about her strange afternoon.

_The walk to the hospital wing was supposed to be short but it felt like years had passed when they finally found themselves at Madame Pomfrey's door. This was because Malfoy was abnormally quiet._

_Madame Pomfrey had fixed her in about an hour. She had even made her teeth smaller than they originally were and for that, she was utterly happy._

_What she couldn't comprehend was the fact that Malfoy had waited for her the entire time._

_"Why?", she had asked him tentatively, as he had walked her back to her common room. "I can be good when I want to", he had said with a mischievous twinkle in his stormy eyes, "and we're partners too. So what's the point in going back alone again?"_

_She had remained silent. "You look even better now." he had said, shattering the pregnant silence. She had openly gaped at him as he had proceeded to wink at her, then smile and finally squeeze her hand gently as he walked away with a strange tune on his lips._

_Her mouth remained ajar, even after a few minutes had passed by. She just couldn't digest the fact that Draco Malfoy, of all the people in the whole wide world had __**winked **__at her._

It was clear by now that sleep wouldn't come to her that night. Especially if his eyes and face kept popping in her face. And _that _smile. She just couldn't find a way through the many layers of Draco Malfoy.

_I wonder what you are..._

She desperately wanted to think about Ron, who she really liked. But his thoughts were just refusing to come to her comfort. Her grey matter was adamant on thinking about grey and not blue eyes. As a result she grew restless and tired. She immediately wanted to clear her head. The stuffiness of her dormitory must be playing with her head, she thought.

And so a risky decision was made. She would sneak out.

She let her hair free since it was a cold night, pulled over a jacket and stepped out in her muggle clothes— a shirt and jeans. Going out proved easy as no one was around. Not turning around, she began her midnight walk, the first of many that followed.

She went down and down the stairs, until she reached the ground floor. It was then that she heard the unmistakable sound of shoes tapping against the hard floor. Fearing that it was Filch and Mrs. Norris, she desperately tried to find a very shadowy spot, when she heard a voice.

"Don't worry, I am not Filch." It was a boy, taller than her, his slender silhouette faintly visible to her. However his face couldn't be seen due to the overpowering darkness.

"And who you might be?"

He seemed to regard her carefully before framing his answer. He knew exactly who she was from the faint whiff of lavender that wafted around him, tempted him till no end.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Okay mystery man, then what shall I call you for the time being?", she asked with a confidence she didn't know she had.

He again thought for a while. He knew exactly what he was playing at. He knew he ought to give her some sort of hint regarding his identity. And so he simply answered, "Thuban".

A few silent seconds followed and in those few moments she knew exactly who was standing in front of her, the one and only Draco Malfoy. She knew why he had chosen the name Thuban; it was a star in the Draco constellation.

"What's your name?"

"Mercury" It was a strange name. But there was a reason behind it. She knew for a fact that many students were not interested in the Muggle sciences, especially purebloods like him and hence they wouldn't know that Mercury is represented by 'Hg', which was also short for Hermione Granger.

What she didn't know was that he already knew her...

"What an unusual name you've got there", he remarked.

"Well, so is yours."

He tried to watch her in the faint moonlight in the way a biologist watches his culture of bacteria— calmly, carefully and calculatingly.

"Say, Mercury what has brought you here?", he said at last.

"Some sleeping troubles mainly." and a pair of stormy eyes, _your eye_s, she added inwardly to herself. She found it extremely ironical that she had found the person that she wanted to get out of her mind at the moment.

"What about you?"

"Pretty much same." and _your plump pink lips._

"Good thing it's Saturday tomorrow, isn't it?", he asked.

"Yeah...", her voice trailed off, "but I think it's Saturday already."

He couldn't take it any longer; the conversation kept running into brick walls. Somehow he had to see her face. "Shall I use _Lumos?, _I swear this darkness is maddening."

"No. Please, no. I think we would be better off if we remain strangers. Anyways, I know you wouldn't like it if I told my real identity."

"Why do you think that Mercury? I can be a good person when I want to be one. Wait, didn't I tell you that already this afternoon. I highly doubt that you're one of my enemies. My enemies don't have Lavender wafting from them."

It is was then she knew that he knew exactly who she was. But she chose to remain oblivious. "What are you talking about? I was in class at that time; unless you mean to say that you're one of my classmates...", her voice wavered more than it should have. In the darkness, she could just imagine him giving her one his signature cocky smirks.

He just moved closer. So close that she could feel his breath and his intoxicating spicy woody scent engulfing her, surrounding her, _tempting_her.

"Oh yes, we definitely share a class; _Howtoattractyourarchnemesis_." She gulped audibly. She truly had no idea what he was talking about. He continued leaning in closer and closer.

"I really have no idea what you are talking about _Malfoy._" , she said quietly.

"Now who's Malfoy? I am Thuban." Now his nose was touching her nose. She stood frozen.

She barely found her voice. All her confidence from earlier had flown out the window and all that while, he was enjoying himself. Nothing was more precious than having Hermione Granger wound around his little finger.

"You might be Thuban in the darkness but you really are Malfoy. I know that.", she spoke nervously.

"And you are Granger." He leant in closer and held her waist tenderly. Their lips were barely a centimeter away.

"What are you doing?", she whispered, not being able to deal with the things happening to her body with him being at such a close proximity.

"This", he said simply and barely a second later, his lips sought out hers...

The kiss they shared was full of eagerness, curiosity, wonderfulness and it was downright unbelievable for both of them.

He couldn't believe what was happening. Hermione Granger was letting him kiss her. The universe must love him, he thought. She hadn't been sour about it, in fact she was sweet. She hadn't pushed him away and he loved the feeling of his lips on her.

She couldn't believe that her first kiss was taken by Draco Malfoy of all the people, and then the second, third, fourth and fifth ones too. She couldn't understand why he was doing all this. So between the sixth and seventh kiss, she had asked him why.

"Isn't it obvious? I like you Hermione Jean Granger.", and then he kissed her yet again.

"Why?", she asked again, breathless.

"Because you're beautiful and the hardest to get.", he answered huskily.

"What happened to calling me a Mudblood?"

"All that façade was to attract your attention. I am not bigoted like my father. How could I let you slip away, _Sweetness_?"

After that she asked no more questions. They just stood there, in the dark silence, kissing each other like there was no tomorrow. Both of them knew that the morning was going to be extremely awkward.

But it was the dark that mattered for now. The light could be taken care of later.

_They were theirs..._

* * *

_**Author's note—**_

_**Was it believable? Like / dislike? Don't be afraid to speak out young ones.**_

_**~ Norma**_


	5. As They Wonder

CHAPTER 5

AS THEY WONDER

* * *

_A kiss is_

_a __lovely __trick_

_designed __by_

_nature __to __stop_

_speech __when_

_when __words __become_

_superfluous._

**_-_****_Ingrid _****_Bergman_**

* * *

Memories of last night replayed through his head as he desperately tried to maintain a neutral face in the common room, among the mass of his house mates.

But he couldn't help forming a small smile, could he? Last night had been fabulous. He had kissed her at last. He wondered how they fit so perfectly in each other's embrace and how their lips molded against each other.

_She's __the __drug __I __am __addicted __to..._

"Hey! Draco?", a shrill voice rang out, bringing him out of his sweet reverie.

He quickly lost the distant look in his eyes as he whipped around in his reserved seat on the sofa to see the overly happy face of Parkinson. All signs of a ghost of a smile had gone, in fact a sneer resided in its place.

"Yes?", he said in a matter of fact manner, not at all pleased with her intrusion on his beloved memories of the dark.

Blushing from cheek to cheek, she began coyly, "I was well...err... I was wondering if... If you could take me to Hogsmeade today?"

He was unfazed. He had known that's what she would ask from him. The boy-hugger she was. "No. I will not.", was his cold reply. "But Draco, you promised!", she said in her fake chirpy voice.

He didn't even raise his face from the book he was pretending to read and replied with the coldest voice he could muster. "I make no promises to anyone. Just stop trailing after me, I have no need for your unwanted attention. Shoo!", he pretended to dismiss her with a wave of his hand.

"After all these years, how dare you, Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Her face had turned a scarlet shade now. Nearby some innocent first-years got startled. Her face was so scarlet that she could have been mistaken as a Gryffindor enthusiast at a Quidditch match. "This is about that Mudblood, isn't it? I have seen how you look at her! You go after her and dare to leave me? What will daddy dearest say? I daresay he would disown you. _You're no Malfoy!_"

Now that, was uncalled for, he thought. His face visibly darkened. But he couldn't burst out. It would blow a hole in his usual calm and composed demeanour, for which he was known. It would also reveal his strange obsession with Granger and he really didn't want that to happen. Instead he chose the only way he, the consummate liar knew. Lying. Consummate lying.

And so he put a stone upon the dark truth and his fragile heart and proceeded to lie, all so that Parkinson wouldn't backfire on him and reach his parents about his obsession with a mudblood. That said mudblood being Harry sodding Potter's best friend. Merlin forbid that from happening, he thought uneasily or he would not only be disowned but murdered too. He tried to put the most calm expression on his face before answering the tormented as well as tormenting female in front of him. _So __much __for __an __addiction._

He sighed. "How can you even think that I like that filthy little mudblood-", he cringed inwardly but nonetheless continued smoothly- "Pansy! I was just joking. But yes, I can't take you to Hogsmeade, I have pending work to do, okay? You go with Blaise, Daphne and Theo. I will go next week.", he said with an air of finality about it. He looked at her, hiding his apprehension. He inwardly shook away his anxiety. It was like him.

Parkinson's face returned to its normal shade from the livid scarlet at his words. Her eyes even twinkled a little with relief. "Umm, it's okay... I thought something else, I am sorry.", she said sheepishly. "It's okay. I was acting unreasonably.", he said waving his hand slightly. His words were utterly betraying his emotions. But he couldn't show his true colours, could he?

"Let's go to the great hall, shall we?", he drawled in a bored voice but inwardly he just hoped that Parkinson would forget the previous subject of her shouting match. "Yeah, yeah why not. Let me call the others.", she said a little awkwardly. And so the Slytherin Quartet- Draco, Theo, Blaise and Daphne started towards the Great Hall along with their unnecessary companions that is Pansy and Millicent.

As soon as they had settled on their table, Draco's eyes began searching for a certain bushy haired girl on the other side of the hall. He didn't fail to notice that Granger was not squished between her beloved Potter and Weasel.

Wonder where did she go?, he asked himself. Must be too embarrassed. He chuckled quite loudly at that thought and people around him gave strange looks. But he didn't bother retorting at them; he was simply too busy thinking about the her and her nervousness.

Nice going, _Eltanin._And he chuckled again, simply too happy in months. After a while he got up, bid his friends farewell and went away, saying he would truly come with them the next time.

For now he had some unfinished business to complete.

_She's __**really **__the __drug __I __am __addicted __to..._

* * *

Many floors above the chatter and clatter of the Great Hall, Hermione Granger sat cooped up on the floor in her dorm. She hadn't been able to sleep after the tumultuous and confusing events of last night. She wasn't even sure how her feet had carried her back to her bed. All that _snogging_ with _Malfoy _of all the people had made her quite heady. She had a massive headache from all the waking up and due to that she had become utterly cranky. Or so she told herself.

_Damn..._

However in the depths of her heart she knew that a certain platinum blond haired boy's certainly uncertain actions towards her were the reason of her crankiness that morning. Due to her sour attitude she had rudely asked Ron, Harry, Ginny and Neville to leave her alone. Only Merlin knew how tormented she was. She had sat down leaning against her trunk for some time now. Even the usually inattentive Lavender and Parvati had asked her if she was unwell.

Stupid, _stupid_ Malfoy! As if her life wasn't already difficult solving puzzles of various kinds. Her life was a perplexing puzzle itself, she thought bitterly. She got up and paced around the dorm, massaging her forehead with her hands now and then. The stuffy atmosphere wasn't helping. She was always tempted to walk out but then she remembered it was that stuffy atmosphere that had eventually led to strange twirlings in her stomach, electrifying sensations in her feet, weakness in her knees and overall mental insanity. She still remembered how he had hovered a centimetre away from her lips, how his stormy mercurial eyes had shone in the faint glimmering moonlight, how he had leaned in and how his lips had devoured lips' chastity.

"Stop thinking about that stupid git and his kissable lips. Think about Ron, think about Ron!", she nearly screamed out. Luckily no one else was nearby to hear her strange contemplations. What is even happening to me?, she asked herself.

_Obviously Draco sodding Malfoy's after effects are taking over me._

"Oh, I will go out. What can happen? There's no harm. Besides that cowardly prat wouldn't try anything in the glowing sunlight, only in the faint moonlight.", she half muttered, half huffed. She took out her favourite book, 'Pride and Prejudice' and decided she would go sit by the lake. It was bitingly cold outside her dorm and as she stepped out, she involuntarily fastened her scarf tightly around her neck. The scarf now not only covered her neck but also most of cheeks and a little of her nose and ears. The black of her robes and the mysterious way in which she wore her scarf made her look like an unprepared thief. She walked down the stairs. Luckily she didn't meet any of her friends or enemies on the way. She just didn't want to talk.

The trip to the lake was long. Not only were the stairs particularly nasty that day but the fog had also decided to take over. The fog was extremely thick and visibilty was greatly reduced. She could only see faint and misty outlines of other students and objects in the distance. She made her way precariously through the grounds, careful not to bump into anything or anyone and doing this was becoming increasingly difficult by the minute. She passed Hagrid's hut on her way and smiled at him when she saw him sitting on the front steps. However, she was highly doubtful that he had seen her. At last she saw the smooth glass like surface of the errily calm lake. Not even little waves could be seen. It was almost as if nature had made herself quiet for her. She found her regular spot by a tree trunk, abeit with some difficulty. She had not even read a complete paragraph of her old dogeared tome when she heard the sound of footsteps crunching fallen, wispy leaves, from somewhere behind her.

"I knew you would be here."

_Damn..._


	6. As They Tease

CHAPTER 6

AS THEY TEASE

* * *

'•''••'''•••''''••••

_Listen,__you only tease_

_the ones you love._

— **_John Boehner_**

'•''••'''•••''''••••

* * *

She turned around nervously. Suddenly a pit had formed at the bottom of her stomach. That infamous drawl was _doing things to her._"What do you want Malfoy?", she tried to sound brave but her voice came out low and weak. Where was that Gryffindor courage when you needed it?, she thought bitterly.

He watched her, smirking. She seemed so dainty, delicate and vulnerable, hiding half of her face like that with her scarf. " Granger, I just need you to follow me."

"And why shall I do that? No...no— not after what you did, what— whatever trap you've laid for me, I am not bloody falling in it." Suddenly she was shivering and it was not happening because of the cold.

"Are you even okay? Because you don't seem to me. And what are you going on rambling about last night. I didn't hear quite correctly. Something concerning me I believe?", he finished off cheekily as he covered her with his own robe. She didn't protest but watched the snake crest with disgust.

Her brown eyes watched him warily as he sat down beside her, now that her shivering had lessened. "No, I am not okay Malfoy! And you must be wanting to know why?", she rasped out.

"Why?"

_The nerve of him._"Because of you, you git! You seriously are a foul, loathsome, evil, little coackroach—"

"Hey!", he said indignantly.

"Shut up! What right do you have to come blasting in my already perplexing life and make it even more complicated? Last night! Last night you came and wrecked havoc. What the hell do you think you were doing?"

"Oh my Granger! Let me see,... Umm, I think I was snogging the daylights out of you.", he said seriously and then flashed a charming grin at her.

She looked at him in disbelief, wide-eyed and then regained whatever composure she had that morning. "Exactly", she started decisively, "And I want to know why were you doing _that_. I was not fooled by all the nonsensical talk you were doing out there."

"Surely it didn't seem like that when you were clinging oh-so-needfully to me.", he smirked, yet again and his stormy eyes were flashing.

She blushed heavily. Thankfully it was hidden by her scarf. "Don't play games with me Malfoy or should I say Eltanin?"

"Actually Draco would be the most preferable."

"Shut up. Tell me why you did that and don't say you fancy me or anything like that because I am not going to believe that at all. You have two minutes to explain yourself, beginning now."

"No, you listen to me. Come with me and I will _show _you why."

"No, I completely, plainly refuse."

"As you wish."

He got up and started to walk away. She didn't say a word. He walked farther and farther away, his slender form seamlessly blending in with the thick fog. At last when his silhouette was barely visible, she realised she was still blanketed in his robe and so she broke into a sprint, with the robes whipping about her.

"Malfoy!" He didn't stop.

"You forgot your robe." He still didn't stop. _I didn't forget that only.__I forgot my heart too,_he thought remorsefully.

_"Draco!",_she was nearing him now.

_And __here, it __comes back. _He stopped walking.

"Okay, I will come with you if and only if you promise to answer my question.", she mumbled tiredly.

"Fair enough. I knew you would come, curiosity _is _your weakness Granger. Follow me.", he said as she handed him his robe back.

He walked towards the lake's edge and she followed him warily, concentrating on his back, lest she lost him to the fog. Seeing clearly was becoming extremely difficult by the moment. It was so foggy and dark that it seemed as if it was early evening instead of late morning. He quietly walked ahead. She wondered what was up with him and what did he so badly want to show her.

She was still lost in her own little world when she bumped into something hard and noticed that he had ceased walking abruptly. They were now standing on the lake's banks. He didn't say anything about their collision and instead remained quiet. It was quite unlike him. _Who are you and what have you done with Malfoy?,_she thought.

He left her standing and moved a few metres to the left of her and put down the robe she had given him back on the grass. From there he walked forward, nearing the edge of the lake. She watched him, unclear as to what he was going to do.

"Eh, Malfoy what are you doing? Planning on drowning, are you?"

"Watch, Granger. You will get your answer if I am successful."

What does he mean 'if I am successful'? What is he doing?... Various questions were flying through her head.

He stood straight and closed his eyes as he stretched his right arm outwards. He would have looked the picture of peace if his concentrated brows were absent. With his outstretched index finger he began making little circles in the air.

She watched on, perplexed by his strange actions.

Suddenly a jet of milky white light shot out from his finger. It took the form a beautiful, glimmering, translucent swallow. It flew gracefully towards the waters of the lake, its delicate wings gently disturbing the glassy water, leaving behind a faint milky path. After a while it disappeared in the thick fog, like a beacon of light in the darkness.

Hermione watched Draco as if he were a madman. After all he had just performed the Patronus Charm wordlessly and wandlessly and everyone knew that that charm was ridiculously advanced, far ahead of the N.E.W.T. level, even if one tried with the words and the wand. Her eyes automatically turned towards the lake as if the beautiful swallow would reappear.

He walked towards her but she didn't notice, she was too shocked and dumbstruck by the occurring. "Granger, _that_ was your answer.", he whispered in her ear. His warm breath on her neck brought her back to her senses and she jumped away from him.

_"What _was _that?!",_she asked, her voice full of hate and respect at the same time. Hate because for starters he was her 'enemy' and secondly she couldn't produce even an incorporeal patronus with the incantation and a wand. Respect because he had just done something only Merlin was rumoured to do.

"Produced a patronus, what else or have you suddenly become blind?"

_Now that's the Draco Malfoy I know._

"No, I mean... I mean to say how did you even do that? Silently and wandlessly?"

"Magic."

She rolled her eyes, thoroughly at that.

"Just answer the damn question Malfoy!"

"Blimey! Calm down. Okay I know you're going in a little green in there— really so Slytherin of you, after seeing that but it was you who made it possible in the first place."

"Me? How?"

"You must be knowing that one needs happy memories to conjure it"

"Yes, I know that! How come I come in the picture?", she snapped, impatiently.

"Ah, finally the know-it-all Granger has made an appearance. Frankly I prefer her to the quiet one—", he glanced at her and saw that she was really impatient to know the answer.

"Fine, I'll tell you." He took a deep breath. "The fact is that the kiss, that you were so trying not to acknowledge—", he said as he walked in front of her," —happens to be my most happiest memory ever."

There, he had said it. She was seeing him, visibly shocked.

"Before that I was able to cast a Patronus, without the incantation or without the wand but not without both since my memories were not happy enough. It was the first time that it happened. All because of you. All thanks to you. Really, I mean it _ ."_

His face was in front of hers as he had bent down a few inches to come at her level and for an insanely wild moment, she thought that he was going to do last night's repetition.

And then lean but strong arms wound around her own arms and waist tenderly as she was enveloped in a very warm and comforting hug. Faint but somewhat familiar spicy woody aroma surrounded her and The Brightest Witch Of Her Age was clearly left dumbstruck for the second time that fateful day as she was hugged by probably The Brightest Wizard Of His Age.

_Malfoy, __who are you? __Merlin's incarnate?  
_

* * *

_**REVIEWS?...**_


	7. As They Surrender

CHAPTER 7

AS THEY SURRENDER

* * *

_A/N:__Looks like the story just gained some momentum.__And looks like that I still haven't got over my Physics Exam. __Whatever...__Please continue reading __(and favouriting and following) _c:

":":":":":":":":"

_Reason lost the battle,_

_and all I could do_

_was surrender and accept_

_I was in love._

_**-**__**Paulo Coelho,**_  
_**The Witch Of Portobello**_

":":":":":":":":"

* * *

As he walked back towards Hogwarts with her after spending a long, quiet but extremely eventful morning he came to realise that the girl walking beside him was much more than a mere infatuation. With others, he just craved the physical aspects of a relationship but with her? With her he wanted much more than that. He wanted to run his hands endlessly through her hair, he wanted to murmur sweet nothings in her ears, he wanted to hold hands with her, _hewantedtoloveandbeloved._

But the question was, did she?

He was very sure that she didn't want any of that gibberish. In fact he was sure that she didn't want anything but enmity between them. But he wanted to make sure before he left her forever. After all being from a family of loyal pureblood death eaters wasn't going to help them much. But he wanted to try anyway.

_She was worth everything..._

What mattered was what she wanted. He very well knew that she was very much infatuated with Weasley. But he also knew that he was nearly in love with her for so long now that it was a matter of time before he drowned in her unfathomable depths for forever. He had to save his heart from being shattered; not that it was already broken. Seeing her run after the carrot everyday did that to him. He couldn't afford to fall further. A choice had to be made. He had to know her feelings regarding him. Now.

"Hermione?"

"Uh-huh?"

"What... _What _do you think about me?", he finished off uncertainly.

"Ah..."

"Go on, say something. Anything."

She awkwardly cleared her throat. "I don't know what to say Malfoy. For three years you tormented me and my friends and now you suddenly come in my life and say you like me and then kiss me and hug me. Then you show me your patronus, which oddly doesn't happen to be a ferret... or a snake." She stopped for a while but he didn't is say anything.

"What I mean to say is that I am confused. Highly. And the fact is that I still can't take my mind off what you did, I mean I can't even comprehend that. How did you even do that?"

She looked at him and found that he had an aura of his own but didn't they all have?

"I practised."

"No you're lying. Downright lying."

"Tell me, have you heard of _naturae magicae_?"

"I know about it. It's highly ancient magic and only magicians of those times knew how to do it and practised it. They did it wandlessly since wands had not been invented and silently because spells had not been finalised and that's what you just did..."

"Exactly."

"Surely, you didn't learn it yourself, did you?"

"Oh yes, I did."

"Malfoy, that's impossible."

"Everything's possible, only if you try."

"Will you teach me?"

"What?" He couldn't believe that she willingly wanted to spend time with him.

"I know you heard me correctly the first time. Friends? I am even willing to forgive you for what you did last night.", she held out her hand.

He looked straight into her doe eyes and only saw sincerity and _respect?_ He wanted to save himself from being shattered because she obviously was after Weasley but damn his heart, he wanted it, only if it was her friendship. He couldn't have expected to get more and after all, something was better than nothing.

And so he tenderly took her hand in his and shook it gently. "You will do anything for knowledge, won't you? Friends it is. And I am glad you forgave me. I had gone a little loose.", he sighed. At least she didn't think bad of him now.

"But don't expect me to be polite to Potter and Weasley."

She chuckled. "Of course not. Heaven will turn into Hell before that happens."

They walked silently. Though this time the silence was a comfortable one. They walked until Hogwarts came into view and then parted their ways after making a promise to meet next Saturday, again by the lake.

_She was worth everything,__the hurt,__the subsequent __pain..._

* * *

Hermione was in a daze as she walked back towards her common room. The fog had cleared now and the stairs that had been nasty in the morning were now rhyming with her steps. Indeed her mind was clear of problems at that moment.

The idea of being friends with Malfoy, still looked extremely surreal to her. But who was she to back out? It was her who had suggested it in the first place, she thought. She had been very careful with her words when he had asked what did she think of him. How was she supposed to tell him that she didn't feel anything except hate and a little respect.

So she had turned the subject of their uncomfortable conversation. Quite surprisingly, he hadn't remarked that she was running away from the topic. She couldn't understand why was he behaving so... So _un-Malfoyish._She had to admit that he had been right, _tooright,_ when he had remarked that she could do anything for knowledge. She wondered if he knew more about her than Harry and Ronald. Perhaps not...

_Draco Malfoy,__you're one confusing puzzle..._

As she entered the common room, she was greeted by the sight of Harry and Ron playing Wizard's Chess. Don't they have anything better to do?, she thought.

"Hello Hermione."

"Hey, 'Mione."

She nodded at them. "Hello"

"Feeling better now?", asked Harry.

"Yes" How was she supposed to tell them that she had just found out that Draco Malfoy knew powerful ancient magic and now she was a kind of friend to him? Instead she did the thing she was best at, finding answers.

"Harry, I have question for you." Ron looked at her sullenly because she was interrupting their game but listened anyway.

Harry looked at her intently.

"How do you feel when you produce a patronus?"

"Well... It's not easy to describe it but it would be best to summarise it as a short burst of pure happiness."

"And do you think you could do it either without the incantation or without a wand?"

"Merlin, no! It's difficult enough to do it with both of them present. Why are you asking?"

"Just curious."

"Oh, okay."

"See you later." And with that she left them to their own devices and went towards her own dorm.

_Pure happiness._ Kissing me was pure happiness, eh Malfoy?. She smirked at that thought.

She reached her dorm only to be surrounded by Ginny (who was waiting for her, even though it was not her dorm), Lavender and Parvati, who had huddled around her.

"Are you fine now?" That was Ginny.

"Yes I am."

"What happened? We were really worried" Parvati.

"Nothing major, just a headache."

"You should have come to Hogsmeade today. We saw Krum." Lavender.

_As if she cared for Krum. _But not wanting to sound rude, she smiled weakly and said, "Next time."

The four girls sat down on a bed. Three of them were talking endlessly about their trip, the fourth one was barely listening to them, trying to solve a puzzle named Draco.

She was in a strange way, glad that she hadn't gone to Hogsmeade. If she had gone, she wouldn't have been able to see Malfoy's other side. Had he shown that side only to her? Since the events of last night, she wasn't very sure about his position on the grey scale. She remembered when he had called her a Mudblood back in second year. She had put him up on the black side in a heartbeat. But now, she wasn't sure. He was definitely not on the white side, perhaps moving towards it? In the end she decided he was lost in the grey in between. Neither evil nor good, but a mixture of both. Where he would head, it would depend upon the amount of white and black put in him by the people around him.

She was one of those people. And she definitely wanted him on the white side.

They had agreed to open the windows since it was too suffocating in there. Besides the afternoon wasn't as cold as the morning.

Suddenly the swallow she had seen that eventful morning flew in through the window and landed gently on her left shoulder. It didn't carry any message and for that she was grateful. Only Merlin knew what would happen if her friends recognised whose voice it was.

The girls around were no longer talking but were instead staring at the beautiful but translucent bird.

"It's beautiful.", Lavender and Parvati cooed.

"Yes it is. But whose?", asked Ginny.

"I don't know.", she lied.

"Maybe you've a secret admirer.", said Lavender as she winked.

"Or maybe just a friend." _He was a friend after all._

"Well whoever _he _is, he must be a senior because in our year only Harry can produce a proper Patronus and his is a stag, not a swallow.", remarked Parvati.

"Yeah, I guess." _You just don't know about Malfoy._

And then the bird vanished into thin air, leaving behind a faint milkiness.

"Will you tell us, if you find out?"

"Of course." _Never._

The other three still continued their rambling, the fourth one still continued her thinking.

* * *

_Draco Malfoy,__you're one confusing but interesting puzzle..._

**A/N:**_What do feel about our Herms warming up to our Draco?_

_And please leave a REVIEW! __I live for REVIEWS._

_—_ _laters, __Norma __x_


	8. Lost Souls In Flight

CHAPTER 8

LOST SOULS IN A FLIGHT

* * *

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

_One day,_

_I'll leave you a phantom_

_to lead you in the summer_

_to join the black parade._

_—_ _**My Chemical Romance,**_

_**Welcome To The Black Parade **_

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

* * *

A letter.

A letter from Lucius Malfoy.

Couldn't his day be made gloomy in any other way?

He had been tending to his owl, Spinturnix in the owlery when in came flying his father's large black owl, carrying a beastly letter, stating him to be ready by seven in the evening. He was to be at the Manor for some days and he knew what his father wanted all too well.

The Dark Lord was coming. All too soon, _for him._

His father and aunt, being the ever-so loyal death eaters had rambled on and on about his _abilities.__"_Draco does this, Draco does that" and other nonsense. By Merlin's grace they didn't know of his recent achievements. His aunt's attitude could be understood; she threw herself openly at Voldemort, even though she was married, therefore it was highly unlikely that she would care for a nephew if she didn't care for her husband. It was good that she was rotting in Azkaban.

But his father? Wasn't his father supposed to care about him and look out for him? Maybe other fathers did that but not Lucius Malfoy. Oh-no-never. Lucius Malfoy had everything in his mind except his son and wife. He was just a power hungry man with an ego whose size was equal to or even more than a Quidditch Pitch.

Draco had no choice but to obey the fanatics. They truly were fanatics. All of them failed to see the cruel irony of the situation. Didn't they realise that all of them so called superior purebloods were being led by a mad and evil halfblood, who was obsessed with the life a boy?

It was this observation that had first led him to break all ties with the belief that purebloods were superior. All the tormenting of muggle-borns that he did at school, was just a mere show for his fanatic pureblood 'friends', so that they didn't tell about his radical ideas to his family. He didn't mean a single word. So much had happened. So much had changed. He was no longer his twelve year old self.

Anyway, he didn't have a choice, did he?

The damned letter wanted him to be ready by seven. Then he would be picked up by his poor excuse of a father. Apparently he had already talked to Dumbledore.

_Damn stupid filthy pureblood death eaters..._

He didn't pack any thing, he was going home after all. He decided that since he was free, he would go to the library. He needed a good textbook to keep his mind from thinking too many bad things about his family because in the end it wouldn't do any good to him. _And maybe _I would meet her, he thought happily. _She was the only__one he__looked forward to meeting in his grim life._

So he walked, confident as always, as his feet led him towards the library. Upon entering the library, his eyes immediately began searching for the bushy haired girl. He was right as usual. She was sitting in the corner, on the floor by a shelf in a corner, far away from Madame Pince's strict gaze, surrounded by piles of books.

He went to sit beside her. She didn't even notice him, until he snapped his pale fingers in front of her face. Her neck turned around and her eyes came into view. She looked at him apprehensively.

"Oh, er Hello. What are you doing here?"

"Can't a boy come to the library?"

"No... I didn't mean to say that. It's just that I've never seen you in here before."

"That's because I check out the books."

"Oh..."

"What are you reading?"

She bookmarked the page and then closed the book to show him the cover. 'The Development Of Magic' was written in golden embossed letters on it.

"Ah, I see. You, are quite enchanted by my tricks and thus you want to research more and more until you find out how I did that. But you wouldn't find anything in there. Tell you what, come with me. You will have a lesson, now."

"But Malfoy, it's nearly evening and way too cold for any outside practice."

"Who said we have to go outside? We just need a good teacher, that is me—"

"As if."

"Don't cut me off! I don't hear you talking like that to Snape. Ah, so where was I? Yes, we need a good teacher, a willing student, that is you and an empty classroom."

He stood up and helped her up to her feet. They put back all the books back in their places and went in search of a classroom, or any room for that matter. After roaming around for twenty minutes or so, they stumbled across an empty room in the east end of the castle.

"So what do we do?"

"We practise meditation."

"And how exactly do we do that?"

"You'll see, you'll see.", he said as he handed her a quill from his robe pocket. She looked at him questionably.

"Transfigure this into a candle." She did as she was asked and put it on the dusty floor. Then the wick burst into a gentle flame with a point of his finger. She gasped, in surprise, just like she did the first time. He smirked.

"You'll learn that but first you need to focus on your inner magical core. That's why you meditate. Sit down." They sat down, cross-legged in front of each other with the candle in between them. "Okay, now close your eyes and concentrate on the flame. Forget everything else. There is nothing but you and the flame. Imagine that you are blowing air through your mouth, trying to extinguish it."

She sat there for what seemed like an eternity, trying all that but nothing happened.

At last she opened her eyes and said, "You're making this up, aren't you?"

"And why do you think that?", he asked sullenly.

"Because nothing is happening. I reckon you must have made your wand invisible and fooled me."

He smirked, in a dangerous sort of way. His eyes glistened dangerously in the candlelight and suddenly she was feeling afraid. "You think I fooled you?", he said as he said as he scooted a little closer to the candle. "Here, take this." He handed his wand to her and closed his eyes. Barely ten seconds later the candle was extinguished. "How do you think I did that?"

"Ah, Umm... Okay I am sorry."

"You, of all people should know that one can't be successful in the first try." He ignited the candle again and she continued. This went on for nearly one and a half hours but then remembered the ghastly letter.

"Uh, Granger I have to go. Practise this while I am gone for the next few days."

"If you don't mind, may I ask where are you going."

"Home.", he simply said.

"Oh, okay. So when do we meet again?"

"Next Saturday."

They stood up from the dusty floor and brushed away the dust from their robes.

"When I come back, tell me how Potter did on the first task.", he said.

"Okay, will do."

"And Hermione?"

She glanced at him, her cheeks blushing a little.

"Take care.", and then he was gone, leaving her speechless. 'You too', she had wanted to reply.

She felt a strange emptiness inside her. 

* * *

Draco walked sorrowfully towards the entrance, his steps not wanting to follow his mind. Since, Dumbledore knew about this, the gates had been opened already. He immediately wanted to turn back and go back to her but now it was too late, he had spotted his father's whitish hair and he knew that his father had spotted his whitish hair too. It was too late to make a choice.

"Good evening father.", he smiled, ruefully.

"Good evening to you too, son."

'Don't call me your son, you poor excuse of a man!', he had wanted to scream at him. But he didn't do anything of that sort and instead quietly walked beside him. He wanted to know what kind of father threw his only son in an evil madman's clutches. He knew that he could very easily defeat his father in a duel, if it ever came to that but then he wouldn't be able to look his mother in the eye. It was cruel world, it was a dastardly life, it was in the end, not his choice.

They walked some distance more and then he side-apparated. The feeling of being pushed through a painfully narrow tube surrounded him and then the Malfoy Manor came into view. He immediately let go of his father's hand. He wanted to be as far away as possible.

Home. _Hell._

His mother was standing nervously on the steps. He went ahead and hugged her. His father looked at them disapprovingly.

But it didn't matter, whether he approved or not. He was no longer a father to him, even though he called the man standing behind him that term. It was just in words, not in heart.

"Draco, the Dark Lord is ready for you. He will be here tomorrow." His mother's hold on him tightened.

It was time to join the black parade of stupid purebloods.

_Damn stupid filthy pureblood death eaters..._

* * *

**_A/N_**_: What do you think of this chapter? By the way this chapter was kind of inspired by an edit made by gentlydramione on instagram._

_\- Laters, Norma_


	9. As They Conceal

CHAPTER 9

AS THEY CONCEAL

* * *

_*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*_

_Running, if you_

_must know is_

_a kind of stillness._

**_\- Anonymous_**

*"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

* * *

Hermione was pretty upset. The reason being that it was time for Harry's first task. She had taught him the Summoning Charm and he had learnt well but now it just depended on his courage levels after seeing the fierce Hungarian Horntail.

Cedric, Fleur and Krum hadn't fared too well. In fact they had all ended up bruised and broken, even though they had battled the less furious dragons. She was nervous for her best friend.

Beside her, Ron (who was still a little sullen and angry at Harry for being selected), Fred and George were watching the tournament with great enthusiasm. Ginny was beside with worry herself. "GO HARRY! GO HARRY!", the entire Gryffindor House, with the exception of Ron, chanted from the stands. Eventually Ron joined in too.

She saw him raise his wand and then he must have done the Summoning Charm because the next thing she saw was his Firebolt racing towards him.

She watched him twist him this way and that, impossibly through the air as he dodged the furious Horntail. She was on the edge when the devious dragon had managed to injure him but in the end he had managed to take the egg and emerge victorious.

She was barely listening to Bagman's commentary when the crowd burst into loud cheers. Harry had performed the best of them all. She was relieved. After the initial moments of relief, she looked around in the mass of black tinged with red, green, blue and yellow, searching for a familiar sneer. But then realisation dawned upon her as she remembered their conversation from two days back. He had gone.

_"Take __care.",_he had said. She still remembered, all very clearly. The roaring cheeriness of the crowd around her faded into faint background voices as she thought about that enigmatic person and felt that strange emptiness inside herself, again. She wondered what he was doing at the moment. A few moments later she would know about that.

She glanced at Ron beside her, who was now cheering a little for Harry and oddly, she felt nothing. Nothing at all. The boy, she thought, she used to like so much now seemed nothing more than a very close best friend. This nothingness had to happen eventually. She knew that. Ron's ignorance had caused her feelings to blossom, then shine and finally be extinguished. The blue of his eyes didn't tempt her any longer. Not anymore.

Instead she realised that she was heading out in a wholly new direction.

She was drawn towards the un-Malfoyish Malfoy. The Malfoy who had kissed her in the dark corridor, the Malfoy who had covered her with his robe when she had been shivering, the Malfoy who taught her ancient magic.

The Malfoy who had said that she was the most beautiful and hardest to get.

Maybe she felt a little spark of attraction towards him? No she didn't, did she? She was confused. _Why __is __everything __related __to h__im __so __bloody __confusing?,_she thought.

The sky was stormy that day, as if planning an evil scheme, like a heavy thunderstorm. As they got up from the stands, she thought she saw the faint glimmer of a silvery swallow up in the grey sky. But she wasn't sure. Then Ginny spotted it too and pointed it out to her as it neared and finally landed, this time on her head. _Not __again.__Silly__Malfoy._Little did she know that in the lower stands, someone's old eyes were twinkling knowingly.

"Who keeps you sending these?"

"I don't know Gin."

"Really Her-"

Ginny was broken off in between as her brothers gaped at the bird on Hermione's head as it vanished.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What was that?", asked Fred. His loud exclamations had attracted the attention of other students too.

"Trust me, that's what I said after seeing it for the first time.", she replied dryly. Ron was speechless. His blue eyes were searching her brown ones.

"Hey George, do you think this Patronus could be of someone in your year?", asked Ginny.

"Ummmm... No. Most of us can't do it and the ones that can, have land animals, not birds."

Ginny nodded as they walked out. Hermione wondered why did he send it again and again. The phrase 'pure happiness' flashed through her head. Did she really mean that much to him? Was she his pure happiness? Apart from all that what she was really confused about was the fact that he had been called home in the middle of the session.

Everyone knew that Lucius Malfoy was one loyal death eater and he must have wanted Draco to follow into his footsteps. The Quidditch World Cup incident was still fresh in her mind. The Death Eaters were clearly retaliating. Perhaps you-know-who was back. Maybe that's why he had been called home, to be told about his fate? She hoped it was not that.

"Hey 'Mione, what was all that about?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked to around to see Ron, who in turn was seeing her with a curious gaze. "Ah, nothing. Even I don't know.", she said. She hated lying, especially to her best friends but she had no choice but to conceal the truth. She had no choice but to run away from the fact that her long time archnemesis meant something to her and now she couldn't even deny the fact that there was a sort of mutual attraction between them.

Ron broke her thoughts once again. "I wonder what the ferret would say if he saw Harry's performance. I bet he would whine, 'My father will hear about this!' That's all he knows.", he chuckled. Hermione didn't say anything. She just walked ahead. _Oh Ron, if only you knew that the ferret is a swallow._

"Speaking of which", Ginny said as she cut in their conversation, "I have not seen Lord Peroxide around."

"I think his daddy dearest has taken him home. I overhead some Slytherins talking."

"Oh...That's why Luna is so happy these days. Her things kept disappearing whenever he was around. She's going to make a huge list of them I believe."

"Hey, Gin, let's go congratulate Harry, I really don't want to keep talking about Malfoy."

"Oh yes, why not." Ginny blushed slightly. It was evident that she liked Harry very much.

Hermione followed them silently. A part of her mind was screaming to go find Dumbledore and talk about Malfoy. He had too much potential. And if he fell on the wrong side, then there was no denying that the consequences would be hugely disastrous. She walked along with the swarming crowd, her feet with them, her mind faraway. 

* * *

In a grim Malfoy Manor, a very grim Draco sat in an extremely grim manner. His face was twisted and contorted with hate and sorrow. A few minutes ago, he had sent a patronus to Hermione and experienced a short burst of joy. It was all he could do to keep his sanity. For a few moments, a smile had reigned on his pale face after doing it, but then he had remembered his upcoming meeting with the madman and hence the frown had taken its place. The meeting had been postponed by a day but was still taking place nonetheless.

He had come inside, even the gardens which he once loved, were no longer pleasurable. Nothing seemed good anymore. Not to him. Not any longer. The Malfoy family was in shambles. His mother was upstairs, crying ceaselessly. His father was scolding her and he, unable to do anything except wait for his pre-determined fate to roll out, was sitting grimly in a spare bedroom. Only he knew how much he wished to run away. Why was his father a death eater in the first place? Why couldn't he be a normal wizard, incompetent but happy? Why couldn't his family see the truth?

_Why?_

The weather outside was cold and morose. It seemed as if nature could predict the ill omen visiting his home. Indeed, it did nothing to lift his spirits.

His filthy father came downstairs after sometime and he had to resist the urge to hex him right there. His father saw him merely as a puppet for gaining more power in the ranks of the death eaters. It was a good thing that his father didn't about his recent experiments with _naturae magicae._No, he just saw him as a good wizard, who would be able to tread whatever dark and crooked path the Dark Lord had set for him.

"Draco, could you care to look presentable? Your appearance is unfitting for a meeting with the Dark Lord."

_As if I bloody care for a lunatic leading a flock of other lunatics._ But he still got up anyway, resisting his hand from doing a swish and flick to levitate his father or better still, draw out his wand and perform a very effective stunning charm.

"Get ready." 

* * *

**_A/N:__This was a borderline filler-ish chapter, I guess._**

**_I solemnly swear that the next chapter will be much more exciting._**

**_~ Laters, Norma x_**


	10. As They Drown

CHAPTER 10

AS THEY DROWN

* * *

_R_E_V_E_L_A_T_I_O_

_As they come by_

_As they slip away_

_As they sail by_

_**Wanderers in the night**_

_As they wonder_

_As they tease_

_As they surrender_

_**Lost souls in a flight**_

_As they conceal_

_As they __**drown**__..._

* * *

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

_He was swimming_

_in a sea of other_

_people's expectations._

_Men had drowned in_

_seas like that._

— _**Robert Jordan,**_  
_**New Spring (Wheel of Time #0)**_

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

* * *

The Malfoy family stood apprehensively at the entrance of their dining hall. The mother was furiously gripping her son's shoulder while the father was merely standing there, cold and impassive.

"Go in. Don't disappoint me boy."

Have I ever?, he thought angrily. His lips twitched, ever so slightly. His toes curled into tight little balls of white skin, while his knuckles impossibly tightened even more.

He went in, his entire demeanour calm and composed but his eyes were screaming hate and anger. His mother reluctantly let go of his shoulder. He opened the door to the dining hall and stepped inside. The hall was dark and damp and the air felt sickening. It was terribly cold in there.

As he stepped inside, the door closed behind him on its own. He knew all too well. _Trying to intimidate me with my own tricks?_

He walked confidently, head held high, mind fearless. _He was a lunatic after all, nothing else, nothing else._

Voldemort was sitting in the far end of the hall in the head chair, in which he remembered his late grandfather used to sit long ago.

"Draco Malfoy."

"My lord." He cringed inwardly as he bowed a little for show. His hand was twitching furiously to draw out his wand and do the Cruciatus Curse right then and there.

"Are you afraid?"

"No, my lord.", he said smoothly. It was the blatant truth. He was feeling anything except fear at the moment. The thin, nose-less, bald man was not at all frightening.

"Lucius was very praiseful of your _talents. _Let's see what have you got. Show me your wand."

"Ah, Hawthorn, I see. Only given to those of superior magical ability.", the Dark Lord remarked as Draco handed him his wand.

"You'll be a good death eater. Let us see something else."

Suddenly he felt as if his mind was being torn up by an extremely sharp sword. He recognised it as Legilimency and focused on blocking up his mind. He had to do it somehow. Whatever he had read up on Occlumency, he was applying it then, with all he had in him. _Don't let him get to you. _He focused all his energy on making his mind as blank as a newborn child.

_Forget everything._

_Forget about your mother._

_Forget about your tricks._

_Forget that you hate this madman._

_Forget that you're in love._

_Forget about her._

_Forget who you are._

_Just forget._

Sweat broke up on his pale forehead. His hands were white as his knuckles clenched painfully. He was suffering from a terrible headache.

After a seemingly long, long time, his mind seemed to regain stability as he felt the penetrating sword go away. He opened his tightly closed eyes, even though he didn't remember closing them at any point. He felt he was lucky to have not fallen onto his knees on the stony floor. He felt weak for the first time in years.

And suddenly it dawned upon him why people bothered to fear this lunatic. He could drive them crazy without a single movement on his part.

"You're surprisingly good at blocking your mind. Who taught you?"

"No one.", he barely said, heaving huge breaths.

"You are lying! _Crucio!_"

Just as he had regained his breath, he felt it going away again. Electricity crackled through his already weakened body as he gasped for air. His surroundings were starting to black out as he began losing his vision. He writhed in pain on the cold ground. This was far more powerful than his father's version.

He had often been on the receiving end of his father's Cruciatus Curse, but nothing was even remotely close to the turmoil he was going through at that painful moment. Fire shot through his every bone and his blood boiled. His sweat evaporated and he felt as if his skin was burning.

At last after an eternity, when his torture stopped, he yet again opened his tightly lidded eyes, only to see a mad glint in Voldemort's red eyes

"Fear me young Malfoy."

He was unable to bring himself to say anything as he brought his still writhing form up from the floor. _I'll do anything but that. _His head felt dizzy and his knees were weak.

"I think you're ready to be initiated. Better before your thoughts wander. I want you to be powerful but not a blood traitor, you're going to be my heir after all."

Heir. The word echoed off through the walls and reverberated around him in the silent air.

_Heir? Blood traitor? Did he see Hermione in my mind? No it can't be..._

But he couldn't say anything about that matter. After all the person in front of him didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. Before he could do anything, the madman's sickly greyish fingers were rolling his left sleeve up.

"Do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, choose to be my loyal servant until your death?"

He had no choice. He sighed. "Yes"

And then long black swirls of an evil ink-like substance burst forward from the Dark Lord's wand as it hovered over his white skin. He seemed to be muttering some sort of a complex incantation. His skin burnt yet again and he felt as if he would collapse for the second time. The pain in his left arm was at its maximum when his right hand automatically came to clutch it at the elbow. When the wand finally left his searing skin, he saw the dull, dark brown outlines of the snake and the skull, glaring at him, taunting him.

_He had been branded._

_His untainted skin had been tainted._

_He was a deatheater like the rest of those stupid filthy purebloods._

"Remember to fear me.", Voldemort's sharp voice cut through the cold afternoon air.

_No, no, no!_

But for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy felt a little afraid of Voldemort. "I have a task for you—", he continued speaking, "bring me that Mudblood, Potter's best friend, what is her name... Ah yes! Hermione Granger. I want her here till the end of this school year."

_Never._

"And don't think of backing out, your mother's life is at stake here."

With that the cruel Dark Lord left the fourteen year old boy and went outside. In that sorrowful moment, there was no cunning Slytherin, no tormentor, no prodigy but just a fourteen year old boy. A fourteen year old, who had no choice but to make the hardest choice of them all.

Someone had to be sacrificed, even if both deserved to live. He had to choose between love and family. It was unfair, it was tough.

He decided that in the end, it would be him.

After all, if he had to kill one of the two people he loved the most, he didn't have any right to live, did he? So, he thought that he was better off getting killed himself in the process than let either of them die. His mother would survive his death, she had to. And Granger? Granger had Potter and Weasley. Also she didn't love him. She would have practically nothing to mourn about, he thought.

A few minutes after the madman's departure from the room, his mother ran in and hugged his weak body to her chest. Tears were running down her cheeks; he could feel the wetness from them on his shirt. To his surprise, they ran down his cheeks too.

* * *

She didn't sleep.

Not a wink.

Her sleeping hours were spent trying to decode Malfoy and his enigmatic persona. He had proved to be an interesting puzzle so far. Hermione still couldn't understand the strange emptiness she felt inside herself every time she thought of those faraway mercurial eyes.

She wanted to meet him. _Soon. _She felt— no, she _knew _that something was wrong with him when she didn't receive a swallow for three days. With these thoughts, the courageous bookworm finally went to a dreamful sleep as the first rosy waves of dawn touched the cloudy sky.

It was Saturday that morning. Their next meeting day.

She would be meeting him soon if all was right. She didn't suspect that nothing couldn't be right at all.

* * *

_**A/N: **__**A mainly Draco-ish chapter. What do you think about it? **_

**REVIEW! THAT'S WHAT DRACO WOULD WANT!**


	11. As They Reveal

CHAPTER 11

AS THEY REVEAL

* * *

A/N:- Hello there! Get ready for a really long chapter. It's REVELATIO. Of course the revealing chapter will be one of the longest ones.

As they **conceal**

As they **drown**

As they **reveal**

_Words, like nature,_

_half reveal and_

_half conceal_

_the soul within._

_**\- Alfred Lord Tennyson**_

* * *

Hogwarts was in terrible chaos.

Giggling girls were dashing after no-longer-boisterous boys. Brave boys were dashing after gorgeous-but-giddy girls.

Reason?

The impending Yule Ball.

It was the new raging topic of discussion those days. Talks were usually limited to apparel, dates and jealousy. It was on everyone's mind. Well, everyone but not Hermione. Not Draco. Of course, one couldn't discuss such frivolous topics when one was a worried bookworm, trying to master the secret of magic or a prodigy in wizardry, training to be a death eater.

She was seriously sick of it. After a nearly sleepless night, she didn't want to go on a fruitless Hogsmeade trip, only to end up discussing the bloody Yule Ball.

Everyone, even the usually Quidditch oriented Ginny, Ron and Harry kept talking about the damned ball. She was the least interested. So, when she got up wearily from her bed that morning, she quietly went about her business, ignoring the chatter of the girls in her dorm. As she slipped in the common room, the volume increased monumentally.

"Hermione!", someone yelled.

She turned around, apprehensively. She didn't want to talk to any person, except a certain grey eyed boy for whom she had been waiting since Sunday.

It was Ginny. "Oh, Hi!", she replied, suppressing her unreasonable irritation.

"Going to Hogsmeade today? Even if you're not, please come!"

"I am sorry Gin, I really am but some urgent work has come up. I know I promised you all but I can't. Sorry.", she said politely. _If only they knew what urgent work was..._

"Okay...but don't complain later. Oh! One last question. Who are you going to the ball with?"

_Not again_. "No one Gin, no one.", she momentarily paused and then quickly continued, "What about you?"

"Neville just asked me!" Ginny smiled but the spark didn't quite reach her eyes. "And don't say that you're going with no one. I sure you'll turn up with someone great."

"We'll see.", she glanced at the red haired witch in front of her. "And Ginny, if Harry and Ron ask for me, will you please tell them that I'll be off somewhere on my own and that I don't want to be disturbed?", she added.

"Of course. That somewhere being the Library, right?"

"Maybe", and with that she turned on her heel and continued her walking, before Ginny could say anything else. As she slipped out of the portrait hole, she noticed that the hallways were not any different. She didn't head for the Great Hall; she had things other than food on her mind. She tried her best to not pay any attention to any chatters and walked on; head held high, ears closed and eyes searching for remarkably smooth whitish hair.

She decided to search by the lake first. It was logical, since that was the place they had decided to meet up at. After a seemingly long walk, she reached there. The lake was placid as ever, surrounded by a mysterious looking fog.

Her eyes searched for a slender figure. It took her a while to scan the area. And then, she found him sitting cross legged on the grass, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. He seemed to be lost in a sea of deep thoughts.

He must have heard her gentle footsteps disturbing the blades of grass because a few moments later his neck turned around and she came in his sight.

"Hermione", he nearly whispered her name but nonetheless, it felt like a gentle caress to her.

His voice sounded strained and faraway but then, it was oddly comforting. His eyes were bloodshot, with huge dark circles underneath them and his already pale skin was nearing a sickly shade of white. She wondered if her thoughts from a week ago were correct. Had he been tortured?, she thought. It surely looks like it.

"You remembered", she said, not finding it strange that she was too happy to merely see him.

"Of course I did.", he replied, his voice small, his demeanour screaming vulnerability.

She went and sat beside him. He shifted away a little. It was unnoticeable. He thought that someone so pure and innocent as her couldn't be near him and his tainted skin. But she noticed and in a bold move, she caught hold of his hand and clasped it between her own two hands.

His eyes widened and he stared at her as she looked away,towards the lake, furiously blushing cheeks giving her away.

_Good grief! She doesn't like me, does she? Merlin! Why is everything so complex?_

But he didn't say anything. Girls blushed even on the smallest things after all. Maybe, she had just held his hand to show she cared and those lovely flaming cheeks were just a mere reaction to the pathetic cold, he thought.

Unbeknownst to him, his cheeks were flaming too.

They sat there quietly for a long time. A gentle breeze was rustling the weakly attached leaves and rippling the calm waters of the lake. Both of them didn't even try to start a talk; it was as if a silent understanding had formed between them, an agreement to not talk verbally but visually.

But at the magical spell had to be broken. "Uh, Hermione, we can't do this anymore.", he said, clearly regretting it.

"Why?"

He looked at her with gloomy guilt ridden eyes. "You wouldn't understand and I can't tell you."

"Is this somehow related to your visit home?", she asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yes", he answered, his voice full of sorrow. It was then and there that she thought that she had been correct. This weak, shell of a boy wasn't the Draco she had befriended. Something was seriously wrong and she was going to get to the root of it.

"Don't think of finding out what's wrong with me. It won't do anyone good."

"How...how did you even know that I was thinking of that?", she asked startled; her grip on his hand tightened.

"I know many things about you, Hermione Jean Granger."

"And sadly, I don't know anything about you, Draco Lucius Malfoy.", she said sadly.

"Trust me, you're better off that way."

He had said that so sorrowfully that she couldn't help but leave his hand free and reach out to cup his face. "You don't have to tell me anything, you know but remember that if you ever need me, you can always come to me."

The grey eyed wizard looked at the brown eyed witch in the eye.

Grey to brown; brown to grey.

Millions of minutes passed but they sat there, frozen as if petrified.

_Then something clicked. A spark flickered._

And this time, he swore, that she had leaned in first. The space between them became zero and time stopped ticking as she kissed him softly and he entangled his fingers in her wavy hair. After sometime they pulled away, breathless.

"What was that for?", he asked, amazed and obviously surprised.

"To show that I care about you."

He wanted to kiss her again, right there and then but he couldn't. Things were already complicated. She was Potter's best friend, he was the Dark Lord's heir; they were clearly on the opposite sides in an impending war. He couldn't entangle himself further. Besides, he was going to die soon, he thought.

"Thank you. But you can't care about me. Only Merlin knows how much it is hurting my heart to say this but- I...we can't meet anymore. Please remember me for the person I am, not for the deeds I do. Please do that, for me." He got up and ran away as fast as his weak legs could manage.

"Draco, wait!"

"I'm sorry Hermione. But I have to do this." _To keep you safe._

She ran after him but suddenly he disappeared in thin air. He must have disillusioned himself, she thought.

She was left there, alone in the biting cold, tearless but hurt. But she wasn't going to give up on him so easily. She would still look out for him. She was too deep in the mess now and the only way out was him.

She realised that she was liking the once upon a time git too much. She had kissed him for Merlin's sake!

But she had wanted to do that for so long...

* * *

He ran away like the dastardly coward he was. How could he ever tell her that he was supposed to kidnap her and then send her to the lunatic? He had just wanted to see her doe eyes filled with innocence one last time, before they looked upon him with disgust.

He had just wanted to talk to her before she forgot him forever. What he hadn't counted upon was that she would kiss him...

How was he supposed to be the heir of the darkest wizard when he had fallen for a girl so hard? How was he supposed to be an overtly manipulative and heartless monster?

The whole deal was so wrong. They were in that mess all because of his damned filthy father.

Energy was cackling through his body as he entered his common room, which was thankfully empty at that moment. Around him various objects were levitating and smashing as they hit the walls. His anger made him too powerful and blind to the damage he was causing.

After a while when he finally calmed down and stopped cursing his father and the Dark Lord, he looked around to see the appalling state of the room.

This is why he chose me. _Iamalreadyamonster,_he thought. _Waitingtobeunleashed._He was an important pawn in his dark plans and he could do nothing about it.

A quick movement of his wrist quickly restored the room to its former glory. It was then that the other Slytherins entered. He quickly disillusioned himself again. He had no need for silly conversations.

"Have you seen Draco?" Parkinson asked Greengrass.

"Nope. No, I haven't."

"I really wanted to ask him to go the ball with me.", she whined slightly.

_As if I want any of that nonsense._

She really is a boy-hugger, thought Draco. She was always bouncing among them; from Zabini to Nott, from Nott to him and from him back to Zabini, like a quaffle in a Quidditch match. The main difference was that no one wanted this particularly dirty quaffle.

"Well, good luck with that.", said Greengrass as she went her way.

After the room had become empty again, he reappeared again and sat on the sofa, staring into the firelight, planning what to do in his life till his very near untimely death.

His thoughts eventually wandered towards _her._He couldn't help himself. She was so lovely and innocent. He knew he would never be able to forget her. He wished if he could still be as innocent as he had been when he had been a five year old boy.

No, don't think about her, he chided himself inwardly. She should mean nothing to you. He tried but was unsuccessful. After all, one could not switch off one's feelings with a flick of one's hand.

_Why isn't everything as simple as magic?_

He groaned, utterly defeated in his endeavour to forget that he loved a certain bushy haired witch. He once again slipped out, this time heading to the fourth floor. Fact was that he didn't want to forget. So, he was going to do something that would make him remember her even more.

Many hours of his life had been spent out his common room wandering aimlessly through the numerous corridors of Hogwarts. It was time to apply the knowledge he had gathered.

He was going to The Mirror Of The Erised. He could at least dream about what he couldn't ever have.

* * *

She was still shaken but not shattered. It had been two days since he had run off, away from her. But he was not a lost case to her because now she knew that he had inherent good in him, stowed away from the judging stares of the whole world.

She was currently in the library, pretending to search for a potions homework they had been given. In reality her mind had been going out for walks with thoughts of Draco Malfoy.

He hadn't said anything to her in the potions class, except the bare minimum. He was not at all any of the Dracos she knew. He was neither his old cold sneering self nor was he the new strange one. He was just a boy, paying no attention to himself or his surroundings.

She had noticed the distant look in his eyes. He had looked too lost and forlorn. She had also seen that he secretly stared at her with those miserable eyes when he thought that she wasn't looking.

_So there was some hope for__them__after all._

She stared at the book sprawled in front of her. Nothing was making sense and she was trying hard to concentrate when someone gently tapped her shoulder.

"Harry, Ron please-" , she paused as she turned around and came face to face with Viktor Krum.

"Oh!"

"'Ello Herm-own-ninny"

"Hello Viktor.", she said a little shyly. She very much wanted to tell him the correct pronunciation of her unusual name but refrained from doing so.

They stared awkwardly at each other for some moments when he broke the silence again.

"Vould you go to da ball vith me?", he asked.

She blushed lightly as she contemplated his offer in her head. She could have never hoped to show up with Draco. Besides he barely seemed interested. Except him no one was eligible; Harry was after Cho and Ron just didn't realise that she was a girl. Though, she too didn't want to go with either of them. Turning up alone and then being teased about it was not her idea of fun at all.

Krum was her best catch. She could be the centre of attraction for one night and not be a nerdy bookworm for once. Yes, Krum it is, she thought.

"Of course", she replied.

"Vary good! Dank you!"

* * *

As soon as she stepped under the gossamer fairy lights of the great hall with her arm interlocked with Viktor Krum's, all the eyes were dead set upon her, especially those belonging to the young male populace.

She was pleased with the effect she was having on them. But she was extremely displeased to see that Draco had not bothered to show up at all. She had thought that he would at least turn up, even if not with her. Only Merlin knew how much in need of fun that miserable boy was.

He couldn't tear away his eyes from her. Is that Hermione Granger? She surely doesn't look like the Hermione I know, he thought.

On the other side of the Hall, Parkinson was tugging Zabini's face away, so he couldn't see her. Yes, Pansy Parkinson had turned up with Blaise Zabini and not him because he had been using the Disillusionment Charm a lot lately. In fact, he was currently disillusioned. The chair he was sitting on appeared invisible to anyone passing by.

He stared dreamily as she danced and twirled with Krum, wishing it was him instead. But he couldn't get what he wanted because he valued her safety above his need for her. _The things I do for you..._

She looked so... beautiful. Even more than usual. She had done something with her hair because instead of wavy, it appeared appeared sleek and extremely smooth and he wanted to run his hands through it endlessly. Blue suited her too well, he noted.

He was definitely going to the visit that mirror again.

She kept dancing with Krum as the night progressed. And when she finally stopped, her face was flushed pink with exertion. He kept watch from afar, wallowing in the depths of her beauty.

She had been having a fairly happy evening when Ron decided to blow up everything and had a huge argument with her. He was accusing her of helping Viktor. As if I would ever do that, she thought angrily.

She looked Ron in the eye and then finally went outside in the cold night air, not intending to talk with anyone at all.

As she stepped out, the cold night air embraced her. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her. She whipped around, wand already drawn from a concealed pocket, ready to attack.

"Who's there?"

"Don't worry, it's me." And then Draco Malfoy appeared out of thin air, in front of her. He grinned.

"You!"

"Yep, me.", he drawled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I would say that I have been attending a rather silly ball but in reality I have stared at you."

She brushed aside his last comment. "I didn't see you anywhere in there.", she said, suspicious.

"That's because I didn't want you to."

It was now or never.

"Why do you keep coming in and then running out of my life, again and again, Malfoy?"

"Oh, back to surnames are we, Granger?" He sneered.

"Answer the question, Malfoy", she said through gritted teeth.

"No, I choose to not.", he said as he began waving his fingers around his body. She recognised that he was performing the Disillusionment Charm and quickly caught his arm in the nick of time.

"You're not running away this time, Mister", she said as she dragged his arm.

He silently gaped at the witch in front of him as she powerfully dragged him on a moonlit path. She only looked frail but wasn't frail at all, he remarked inwardly.

He vaguely caught that they were headed for the lake as he saw the reflection of a crescent moon on the placid waters. She led them towards their usual spot and made him sit beside herself.

There were a million little lantern lights in the dark night sky when Hermione Granger made Draco Malfoy speak his mind.

"Answer the question, now", she murmured, suddenly feeling uncertain and inconfident of her actions. Both of them were.

"Because I care about you and want you to be safe.", he simply answered.

"Don't you lie to me Malfoy. You could have done that without kissing me. Tell the true answer.", she spat, suddenly regaining some of her lost fire.

He stood up and turned away so that she was no longer in his sight. He nervously ran his hand through his hair.

"Because I want to protect you."

She smiled at that. "And?", she prompted.

He was silent for a few moments. But then he burst forth.

"And I bloody love you Granger! Happy?"

"What?", she asked weakly. She was too shocked. She had thought that he would say that he liked her a lot or something of that sort. Never ever had she thought, not even in her wildest dreams, that he would say that he loved her.

"I said I love you Granger. And I don't expect you to reciprocate my feelings. Please ignore all the rubbish I said in the last two minutes because we can't continue this, whatever this is. We can't even meet anywhere except in classes."

"I will not at all ignore what you said Malfoy. In fact you can expect me to reciprocate your feelings in due time.", she said as she got up to stand beside him.

It was his turn to be shocked now. But he masked it well. "Didn't you hear what I said. We can't meet.", he said seemingly emotionless. Internally he was writhing in turmoil.

"Perhaps no, perhaps yes."

_Yet again, __something clicked.__This time a million sparks flickered._

They couldn't contain it any longer. In the darkness, just like their first time but under a million little fairy lights, their lips met. Millions of unspoken words were spoken as he lost his fingers in her locks. Millions of feelings were expressed as she tugged him impossibly closer to herself.

For it was in the darkness that the millions of little intricacies of their love could be played out. For it was in the darkness that their flaws could be hidden away from the eyes of the world. For it was the darkness of the night that always welcomed them and their revelations, without any cruel judgment.

_The night __made them theirs..._

* * *

_**A/N:-**__Revelations..._

_Please tell me __that I didn't botch it up!_  
_-__laters, __Norma_


	12. Falling Castaway Kite

CHAPTER 12

FALLING CASTAWAY KITE

* * *

_**Author's Note:- **__Hello there! Sorry for the late update but real life has been really harsh lately. This is the __**last chapter**__ by the way._

_Dedicated to my sister and editor, Mertice._

* * *

**_R_E_V_E_L_A_T_I_O_**

_As they _**_come by_**

_As they _**_slip_**** away**

_As they _**_sail by_**

**_Wanderers in the night_**

_As they _**_wonder_**

_As they _**_tease_**

_As they _**_surrender_**

**_Lost souls in a flight_**

_As they_**_conceal_**

_As they __**dr**_**_own_**

_As they __**reveal**_

_**Falling castaway kite**_

* * *

'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

_Stay right here,_

_we can change our plight_

_**\- Black Veil Brides**_

'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

* * *

Nightmare.

His life was a nightmare.

But when he was with her, he couldn't help but think that he had some peace and love in his life. For whenever he was with her under the moonlit sky, all troubles ceased to exist for him. At least for a while. But it couldn't last forever, could it?

It had been a long while since he had talked with her that wonderful night; purposefully avoiding her outside classes for the whole of the remaining term. She hadn't complained but he knew about the strange looks she gave him behind his back. That dreaminess with came with her was something he could not afford at any cost. He had been called back yet again, a few days ago. Apparently, the evil halfblood wanted to teach him something. It was more torture, less teaching.

Now, as he sat in the Manor, a horrible gloominess had descended upon him, like it always did whenever he was there those days. The reason for his sorrow was the most sorrowful thing ever in his life. For it was not only he who was tortured but his mother too.

The lunatic was like always...a lunatic. It was that madman's notion that if he saw his mother getting tortured then he would get better at magic. As if his writhing on the floor and painful groaning weren't enough.

Tonight it was going to be a big night for Riddle. He was going to abduct Potter from the middle of the maze, the last round of the Triwizard Tournament. He was not allowed to go. Not that he wanted to go. The point was that he had never wanted to join the black lot of theirs in the first place itself.

He remarked that Potter would live. He personally knew that The Boy Who Lived had many tricks up his sleeve. And although, he had never said it to his face but he admired the boy. He desperately wanted him to win the impending war.

He got up and went out. Dark clouds were lining the horizon. It would rain in the evening. "Draco", someone's weak cry pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw his thin and shriveled up mother. He immediately went to support her fragile form. "Mother! You should be resting, not limping around.", he said as he led her inside. She gave him a sad smile and sat along with him on the sofa.

"Son, do you love someone?", she asked abruptly.

"Yes. I love you. Where's this coming from?", he replied, sure as to where exactly their conversation was heading.

She didn't answer his question directly. "No I meant apart from me. I asked it regarding young girls, your age.", she said with a real smile on her face.

He remained silent.

"Ah... So someone is there."

"Maybe", he replied rather emotionlessly. He couldn't afford to remember about her now that the Dark Lord attacked his mind almost daily.

"Draco", she pursed her lips and continued, "I very well know that in most cases these school 'loves' are never successful in the long run. But apart from that, what I wanted to say was that whoever she is, pureblood, halfblood or even a muggle-born, I don't care. I have lost contact with so many loved ones due to those stupid blood prejudices. I don't want you to suffer through the same fate.", she said earnestly.

He looked at her as if she was going to say that she was joking. But that revelation never came, for she wasn't joking at all.

"Thanks, mum.", he said at last, secretly awestruck. He had found someone who didn't give a damn about stupid blood 'pollution'. And he was utterly happy from the depths of his heart that it was his mother.

Many hours down the drain, darkness had settled both outside his house and inside his heart. The madman was absolutely furious. Voldemort had lost to Potter. _Again. _Of course Draco had known that he would survive all along. The boy always failed to die.

That night the agony was far more than usual. Seven Cruciatuses and two Imperiuses later, his body was wrecked. What kind of teaching was this torturing he wondered from his lying position on the cold floor.

"_Imperio! _Get up!"

But he didn't get up. In fact he didn't even stir a bone in his pathetically weakened body.

_Ah, third time's the charm._

His mind was busy ignoring the warmth and light heady feeling it was receiving due to the curse. His heart was screaming at him to get up and do whatever the lunatic in front of him wanted but something was telling him to stay put.

"Didn't you hear me boy? I said get up!"

_NO._

This denial went on for an eternity until the Dark Lord gave up.

_"Finite Incantatem"_

For a few moments a heavy silence reigned. No one uttered a single syllable except the ferocious rain outside. After a while he said, "Your powers have increased."

He slowly and silently got up to face Voldemort.

"You are to go back tomorrow and get me that Granger girl through that Vanishing Cabinet or your mother gets the Killing Curse. Dismissed.", he said with a wave of his hand.

He calmly accepted his doom and walked outside, away from the madness filled still air, right into the cold, depressing winds of the stormy night. He needed a plan.

* * *

She didn't want to leave the infirmary so soon. Harry had been terribly injured. How could she leave her best friend in his weakest moment. But Dumbledore had been very adamant when he had sternly said, "Later" and so she was sitting up in her dorm thinking of all the possibilities. She too believed Harry when he had said that You-Know-Who had come back. She had been sure of it before her friend had been subjected to such appalling treatment.

That night she yet again sneaked out, thinking of _him._

She very well knew that he had been purposefully avoiding her since that night. She knew why. He was neck deep in some sinister plot. She could not understand why he didn't want to tell her. Surely, if he...cared for her...didn't he trust her? She still didn't trust herself with the L-word. So she preferred thinking that he cared for her. After all caring was the same as loving, wasn't it?

Why was all this so damn confusing?

She neared their regular spot by the lake and shivered remembering how she had been tied in there, underwater for the second task. The cold icy waters had seemed to freeze her over and over as they touched each and every part of her body. She had been so dazed when she had finally come out of the murky water and thanked god that she could finally be warm.

As she sat on the dry grass underneath a starry night she laid out a plan. As soon as Draco would come back, (which she very much hoped he would) she would confront him. Didn't he see, she wanted, no,_ needed_ to know what he was upto. Maybe she really needed to sort out her priorities? And enemies?

Maybe she needed to sort out her feelings?

What did she feel regarding Draco Malfoy? He was an intellectual git, who looked extremely good while smiling a real smile and maybe...she was falling hard for him. She cared too much for him, like he did for her.

She smiled radiantly in the faint moonlight.

The next time she saw him, he looked even more harrowed than last time. He was extremely thin and his skin was nearly white. Were it not for his familiar hair, she wouldn't even have thought that he was Draco Malfoy. A strange kind of darkness marred his face. He glanced sadly in her direction from his faraway position on the Slyhterin table. Their eyes met but he quickly looked away. It seemed as if he was guilty.

But she wasn't going to give up so easily on him.

So after a real fast breakfast she pursued him. "Draco!", she yelled, ignoring the strange looks she got from some Gryffindor first years as she ran behind him. He turned around.

"Hello", she started awkwardly and beckoned him to follow him.

He followed, very reluctantly and as she lead him to their abandonded classroom in the east wing. She didn't notice his inner struggle. Not that it was very evident. "Didn't I tell you, we can't meet.", he said at last as they entered the room.

"But you also told me err... that you care very much for me."

"Yes. I did that Hermione but how can I tell you that...", he paused and they said, "you wouldn't understand. I'm sorry. _Stupefy!"_

She immediately blackened out. He disillusioned both of them and then gently picked her up from the floor and hoped his plan went accordingly because he did't want her nor his mother to die. His heart was bursting from guilt as he pushed her in the functioning cabinet and led himself in. He had hoped she wouldn't approach him and he would be able to do it behind her back like the coward he thought himself to be.

When she opened her beautiful brown eyes she came face to face with grey ones. "Where am I?", she asked, startled as she came out of her sleepy daze.

"Malfoy Manor"

She gasped loudly. "What am I doing here?", she glanced around and saw that she was in a well furnished room and lying on a really comfortable bed.

"I'll tell you later. Now hurry up."

"Why did you bring me here?", she spat angrily.

"Later!", he hissed.

"Oh, I see. You've brought me to your Dark Lord. I know everything. He's back, isn't he?"

He was quiet.

She continued. "And all that you ever said, it was a staged up play, wasn't it?", she said darkly.

His eyes darkened as he ferociously leaned forward and caught her lips with his own in one last kiss. Only Merlin knew if he would ever be able to see her again.

"It was as real as the touch you just felt", he said against her lips. "Now please hurry and get up. Please.", he said as he pulled away. She looked at him as he got out a strange looking potion from one of his cabinet drawers.

"Listen carefully. He knows you are here. He assigned me to bring you here. But I am not going to hand you over, of course. They are already questioning why I have not thrown you in the dungeons. So let us get this quickly over with.

"Okay, what do we have to do?", she said, oddly calm.

"You see that broomstick by the window?"

She nodded. "You have to fly on that and get away as fast as possible but not before you kill me."

"Kill! Are you mad? I can't do that. Nor can I fly!", she said nervously as her face paled considerably.

"Calm down. I didn't mean the killing part literally. That's where this potion comes in. Now come here."

He helped her on the broomstick and disillusioned her and the broom. Suddenly they heard lots of footsteps climbing up the stairs. His pace quickened.

"Now scream _"Avada Kedavra' _at the top of your voice. Don't ask why. Now's not the time."

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

The footsteps hurried.

"I love you", he gently murmured against her invisible forehead. "I love you too." To say that he was a little shocked was an understatement. But nonetheless, he replied, "I know. But don't. Now go hurry!" He drank the potion, all of it and threw the bottle out of the window. And then his eyes closed as he fell to the ground. She stared, shocked.

As Hermione Granger flew unstably out of the window, Narcissa Malfoy broke at the sight of a quite dead Draco Malfoy.

* * *

**Author's Note:-**

_DAS ENDE?_

_I don't think so_

_c;_


	13. A Thank You Note

Okay, I had never hoped that I would reach so far. I was always frustated as to where this story would be heading but then I saw your lovely comments and reviews and I was always driven forward. Revelatio was originally going to be a totally fluffy romantic story but then I thought, "Haven't we all have enough of that already? I believe that if Dramione were ever canon, it would be all angst-y with a touch of sweetness here and a sprinkling of jealousy there but never totally romantic. Hence the twist. A huge Thank You to anybody who reviewed, followed or favourite-d the story.

BY THE WAY, THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SEQUEL, _**OCCULTUS **_is up.

Till next time,

Norma


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